Tourism revenue in Egypt rose to $4.3 billion in 2000, according to Tourism Minister Mamdouh El Beltagui, who added that such revenue had grown by an average of approximately 12.5 percent annually since 1993.

"5.5 million foreign tourists came to Egypt in 2000, and 9.5 million are expected in 2005," El Beltagui was quoted as saying by Al Ahram Weekly.

Tourism has bounced back since a slump following the killing of 58 tourists in Luxor in November 1997.

Islamist extremists, who are trying to topple the regime and establish a fundamentalist state, have targeted tourism to undermine government resources. But according to the recent statistics, things are looking up.